The invention relates to a suction valve for an axial piston compressor, the cylinder block of which is covered over by a valve plate that has suction valve and discharge valve openings, having a leaf spring with one end fixed, which spring at one end is fixed with a fixed portion between valve plate and cylinder block, at its other end covers over the suction valve opening with a closure portion and has an intermediate portion connecting these portions, and also co-operates with a stop on the cylinder block as the suction valve opens.
In a known suction valve of that kind (U.S. Pat. No. 2,908,287), the fixed portion of the leaf spring with one end fixed is located close to the cylinder. The closure portion is located at the other end of the spring and co-operates with the stop. The intermediate portion therefore extends over a substantial part of the diameter of the cylinder.
When the suction valve is open and gas is to be sucked into the cylinder, the leaf spring is bent downwards. The flow of gas is here diverted from the suction valve opening to the cylinder wall. On contact with the cylinder wall the gas is heated and expands. The flow resistance and the heating reduce the amount of gas that is able to flow into the cylinder during the suction stroke of the compressor.